Former Rare Dev Say There's Not An Audience For A New Banjo-Kazooie

Probably correct on Xbox, unfortunately. If they do make it they should probably also release it on Switch/Switch 2.
 
Sadly, we sometimes ask for games that we wouldn't actually buy. That could definitely be the case for banjo. That was big because it was a hit with kids that are grown up now.
 
Just return to be a nintendo studio so your platforms are gonna sell once again.

Nobody on M side gives a fuck about that genre.
 
I think there is the audience now and it's a lot less risky than when Nuts and Bolts which wasn't even a platformer released.
Firstly Series S has a lot of first time Xbox owners and secondly now it would launch into Gamepass where hitting financial returns doesn't hold the same sway as before, if you're going to run a sub service you have to provide a broad selection of titles.
Spencer needs to get Banjo Threeie greenlighted asap. Pay Playtonic to develop it if necessary.
 
AmuroChan said:
Banjo is a perfect fit for Gamepass. People may be hesitant to pay $70 for a Banjo game, but if it's on Gamepass, they would get several million downloads easy.
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Sounds like damning with faint praise. Yes I'm sure it would get downloads if it was 'free', most of whom wouldn't play it for long, like Redfall.

I think the dev is right, there isn't much wide appeal for this franchise. I don't think the enthusiasm apparent on this thread is shared by the wider gaming public.
 
I mean if you look at the criticisms of yooka laylee, a modern traditional banjo game would need to make quite a few changes in order to broaden its appeal.
 
This is the future of Crash and Spyro post acquisition, should Microsoft manage to force it through somehow.

They're quite correct, there is no market for it on that platform.
 
Calverz said:
I mean if you look at the criticisms of yooka laylee, a modern traditional banjo game would need to make quite a few changes in order to broaden its appeal.
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Yooka Laylee wasn't good because it had a banjo skin but design wise it was incredibly mediocre, characters had no cohesion, weak level design, poor collectable design, boring challenges, alot of the unlocked moves weren't interesting, and the dialogue wasn't as charming/witty as the BK games.

It felt like it was made by fans on BK who only understood it on a surface level.


The only thing Yooka Laylee did well was it felt good to move the Main Character, Yooka and Laylee were well designed characters in terms of Looks and the idea of Unlocking more areas of a level as you collect more of the main collectable is a good idea, otherwise that game was sadly mid as fuck. The 2 Banjo games are 9.5 and up masterclass level games.
 
MagnesD3 said:
Yooka Laylee wasn't good because it had a banjo skin but design wise it was incredibly mediocre, characters had no cohesion, weak level design, poor collectable design, boring challenges, alot of the unlocked moves weren't interesting, and the dialogue wasn't as charming/witty as the BK games.

It felt like it was made by fans on BK who only understood it on a surface level.


The only thing Yooka Laylee did well was it felt good to move the Main Character, Yooka and Laylee were well designed characters in terms of Looks and the idea of Unlocking more areas of a level as you collect more of the main collectable is a good idea, otherwise that game was sadly mid as fuck. The 2 Banjo games are 9.5 and up masterclass level games.
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it really feels like the art of gamedesign has been lost when looking at that game...
they didn't even know what made the game, they themselves made, good. (although I stand by my opinion that Banjo was always mediocre)
 
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Obviously there's an audience but the question is if the audience is there to justify the production costs of a AAA game. I think you could do it more AA style like the new Crash or Yooka Laylee and that's fine though.
 
Wrong, platformers still sell well BUT only if there great games, new kirby literally sold 6 million making it the best selling one in the franchise, crash, spyro remakes as well as crash 4 all sold well plus gamepass literally needs a good platformer that isnt from indie devs, i do think if MS decides to do it they should actually consider porting it for the switch though to generate hype
 
He's right. There isn't an audience for cutesy British platformers full of puns and googly-eyed characters. The cast would have to get a redesign and we already saw that happen with the eldritch horrors of Nuts and Bolts. Yooka-Laylee was amateurish at best - its 2D sequel was much better than the 3D collectathon game.

The "audience" still existing for a Banjo game would never buy it at full price anyway, and that alone makes the idea commercially unviable. There was a time and place where these games were AAA and best sellers. That time has passed.
 
A big-budget B&K game is right out, go get that out of your imagination immediately. AA could work, and iirc Toys for Bob expressed some interest in working on a Banjo game. I know for a fact Tim Schaeffer at Double Fine stated he was uninterested in working on someone else's IP.

Honestly I think the most valuable thing MS can do with the B&K property is sell it back to Nintendo for $1 with the contractual obligation that the game gets a GamePass release as well.
 
01011001 said:
it really feels like the art of gamedesign has been lost when looking at that game...
they didn't even know what made the game, they themselves made, good. (although I stand by my opinion that Banjo was always mediocre)
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I was in there in the first half at least lol. Banjo Kazooie is still arguably the greatest 3D Platformer of all time, the only game that I'd accept to say that has potentially usurped it is Super Mario Galaxy 2 but both games are near perfect.
 
MagnesD3 said:
I was in there in the first half at least lol. Banjo Kazooie is still arguably the greatest 3D Platformer of all time, the only game that I'd accept to say that has potentially usurped it is Super Mario Galaxy 2 but both games are near perfect.
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the movement in Banjo is boring as fuck and has zero depth.

Mario 64 mobs the floor with it.
 
01011001 said:
the movement in Banjo is boring as fuck and has zero depth.

Mario 64 mobs the floor with it.
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Speed/Insane Manuverability isn't the only thing that matters in a platformers quality but I agree that Sm64 is a great game, a bit twitchy tho at times. It's probably my 2nd favorite game ever to be honest but given it's camera is a problem..

Banjo feels great to move, his moveset is very fun to use, I love Rat ta taping close to the ground and using flip flap at well place times to keep my movement going where I want or sliding into a back flip, talon trot feels great to maneuver with as well. Everything works perfectly as you intend it to.

Banjo also has incredible level, collectable, music, secret and hub design. The variety and charm are through the roof everywhere you look there is character in the game. The dialogue is super charming and silly as well, every thing is alive especially things that shouldn't be like an orange but they are happy to be alive anyway. It's the perfect adventure Platformer.
 
There might not be an audience for Banjo Kazooie, but there definitely is for a new James Bond game......we haven't had a truly great one since GoldenEye
 
Kilau said:
Donald Trump GIF by Election 2016


Source: me
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Well, you are not the whole world ;)
Banjo was never a franchise like mario that will easily sell millions of copies. And like many other genres, 3d Jump & Run is quite dead for bigger games (except for mario-games). So making such a game would have a great risk that it will be a money-grave and I guess Rare can not allow themself to bring out another game that almost nobody buys. Yes they have sea of thieves, which is quite good but only many, many months (if not years) after the intial release.

But it would perfectly fit as a smaller game into gamepass to get kids attention again (those that don't play minecraft) ;).
 
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MagnesD3 said:
Speed/Insane Manuverability isn't the only thing that matters in a platformers quality but I agree that Sm64 is a great game, a bit twitchy tho at times. It's probably my 2nd favorite game ever to be honest but given it's camera is a problem..

Banjo feels great to move, his moveset is very fun to use, I love Rat ta taping close to the ground and using flip flap at well place times to keep my movement going where I want or sliding into a back flip, talon trot feels great to maneuver with as well. Everything works perfectly as you intend it to.

Banjo also has incredible level, collectable, music, secret and hub design. The variety and charm are through the roof everywhere you look there is character in the game. The dialogue is super charming and silly as well, every thing is alive especially things that shouldn't be like an orange but they are happy to be alive anyway. It's the perfect adventure Platformer.
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Banjo's movement feels like multiple disconnected animation sequences that you're meant to use in specifically predetermined moments.
attacking also feels awful, with mediocre to bad animations (especially the punch is just the worst).

the only thing the game has going for it is the presentation. the gameplay absolutely falls flat imo. it feels unintuitive and undynamic.
I have more fun just running and jumping around the castle area in Mario 64, than actually trying to collect stuff in Banjo.
 
mrcroket said:
The sad thing is to think that if rare belonged to nintendo, we would probably have a banjo kazooie for switch selling millions and being acclaimed by critics and users.
How badly they have mismanaged such a legendary company.
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And I think Microsoft stated they let rare work on what they want? Idk why a part of their company disbanded and formed playtonics then? Regardless they can remake the first game on series and have a Mario level platformer if remade correctly yet they aren't so.
 
Draugoth said:
super-smash-bros-ultimate-fighters-pass.jpg

​
While discussing Banjo-Kazooie's 25th anniversary, Grant Kirkhope, a composer who worked on a ton of Rare games in the past, said that he doesn't think there's an audience for Banjo-Threeie.

Mayles said:



Kirkhope was similarly sceptical about a third entry, noting that the team working on it would have to get the humour right, something that he says is hard to replicate. Kirkhope said, "I think Rare would be open to somebody if they found the right team, but I don't feel like that team exists. Also, I'm not convinced the audience is there either."

Although Kirkhope and Mayles both seem to think that it's unlikely to happen in the near future, if at all, they still seem to want a new game in the series. Sutherland was the most positive out of the three, noting that he hopes "somebody is going to bring out something… some kind of sequel or 'next in line' game. At least before a point where I can still remember that the first one existed! But hopefully sooner."
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P.S. -- I hear tell he said there's even LESS of an audience for Ape Escape. What sayeth thee, kanjobazooie kanjobazooie ?
 
mrcroket said:
The sad thing is to think that if rare belonged to nintendo, we would probably have a banjo kazooie for switch selling millions and being acclaimed by critics and users.
How badly they have mismanaged such a legendary company.
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doubt, Looking at current state where Fortnite is still popping off. I really don't think that many folks give a toss about collector-thons like us kids in the 90's did.
 
Elysium44 said:
Sounds like damning with faint praise. Yes I'm sure it would get downloads if it was 'free', most of whom wouldn't play it for long, like Redfall.

I think the dev is right, there isn't much wide appeal for this franchise. I don't think the enthusiasm apparent on this thread is shared by the wider gaming public.
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Redfall's lack of stickiness wasn't because it doesn't have wide appeal. It was because it was a bad game. One of Gamepass's strengths is encouraging people to try out games that wouldn't normally buy. A 10-hour Banjo game would be a great fit for GP.
 
To be honest though a Banjo could work but make it a budget level game. It doesn't need to be AAA.

Honestly if I'm Rare, I'd make it for the Switch where we know it would sell the best and then have a superior upscaled version on Xbox and Gamepass. It's win win really
 
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Fucking disgusting what the gaming enviroment became.

They don't design games because they want to anymore. That's why we get so many shitty soulless AAA games.
 
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